Edward r



(No Model.)

E. R. DE WOLFE.

, BALL BEARING FOR GYLOMETBRS.

No. 458.710. Patented Sept. 1,1891.

l Il:

'////// e hf- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD R. DE woLEE, 0E NEw YORK, N. Y., AssIeNoR To HIMsELE AND GEORGE R. BIDWELL, on sAME PLACE.

BALL-BEARING FOR CYCLOMETERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,710, dated September 1, 1891.

Application filed March 4,1891. Serial No. 3831703. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. DE lVOLFE, a'citizen of the United States, residing at the city, eounty,and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Ball-Bearing for Oyclometers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to cyelometers or distance-measuring instruments for useupon velocipedes and similar vehicles. Heretofore these instruments have usually been suspended from the axle et one of the wheels, a two-part collar being placed around and secured to said axle, and a two-part sleeve connected, respectively, to the mechanism of the instrument and to its eounterbalance-weight, the bearing parts being parallel contact-surfaces. These parallel contact-surfaces require frequent attention and they collect and become clogged with dust and soon cause the instrument to revolve with the wheel and become inoperative, and the object of my invention is to overcome this dii'iiculty.

In carrying out my invention l employ inwardly-curved circumferential bearing-faces at the respective ends of a two-part or divided collar and outwardly-curved circumferential bearing-faces at the respective ends of a two-part or divided sleeve, the bearingfaces of the sleeve coming within those of the collar, and between these curved bearingfaces I employ rows of balls to form a ballbearing for the cyclometer, and the parts et' the sleeve and collar are connected together. The circumferential bearing at one end consists of an adjustable two-part collar or ring, the parts of which are aligned and connected by countersunk screws, and said bearing-ring is connected by a lug or toothed dog with the divided collar, so as to rotate with it. This ring is adjustable to tighten the bearing in taking up slack and wear. This mechanism is not att'ected by dust to any appreciable extent.

The operative mechanism of the cyclometer whereby the rotation of the axle is com- -municated to the train of wheels of the recording mechanism is preferably to be the same as that shown and described in my Let ters Patent vfor improvement in cyclometers, dated March 3, 1891, and numbered r1-.L7,51O.

ln the drawings, Figure l is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section atm@ of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts as shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. Lt is a view illustrative of the operative mechanism.

a represent-s the axle oi' a velocipede-wheel. l) l1 represent the parts of the two-part collar, upon the respective ends ot which are the inwardly-curved circumferential bearing-faces 6o c c'and rings d d. One ring d is formed as part of the divided collar, and countersnnk screws 1 pass through the same to hold the collar together at one end. The other end of .the divided collar Z) h is externally threaded and the extreme end is made slightly smaller and with serrations at 2. The other ring d is independent of the collar,butis internally threaded and adapted to screw upon said collar. together by countersunk screws at a, and one circumferential bearing is on this ring d'. A wrapping of paper, sheet rubber, or other similar material is to be placed around the axle and within the said divided collar, so as to bind the same to the axle and compel it to turn with said axle. Tapering wedge-shaped collars of soft metal or hard rubber, as shown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines, may surround the axle a and be movable thereon and within 8o the collar to clamp to place the aforesaid collar. This device is more quickly applied than the wrapping.

c e represent the parts of the divided sleeve or housing adapt-ed to surround the faces of and cf, and the ring (l is to be roroo tatcd around the collar to bring up the parts snugly together after the balls are inserted.

This ring d is in two parts and is held 7o The parts of the sleeve 9o The re- A dog fi, having a serrated edge, is adapted to fit the serrations. at 2, and this dog,` is held by a screw to the ring d, so as to maintain the position and adjustment of the parts and compel the collar l) ZJ and ring` CZ to turn together with the axle a.

My improved anti-friction ball-bearing cyclometer is easily placed upon a wheel-axle, runs smoothly, and is not affected or impaired by dust, and as the movement at the axle is comparatively slow it is not necessary to employ any oil in the ball-bearing. Consequently dust will not collect or settle to impair the operation, asis the case where oil is used.

The operative parts shown in Fig'. 4 consist, essentially, of the circumferential flanges b2 b3, between which a groove is formed, with a depressed portion at 12 and a pin Z, and the radially-slotted disk or Geneva wheel at h, mounted in the case of the cyclometer and operated by the pin Z to in turn act upon the train of gears of the cyclo-m eter mechanism tov effect the speed-recordii'ig, as set forth in my application herein referred to.

I claim as my invent-iona` l. The combination, in a cycloineter, with the divided collar and divided sleeve or housing, of circumferential bearing-faces at the respective ends of the collar and sleeve and rows of balls between said bearing-faces,su'b stantially as set forthA 2. The combination, in a cyclometer, with the divided collar and divided sleeve or housfing, of inwardly-circuinferential bearingfaces at the respective ends of the divided collar, outwardly-circumferential bearing-faces at the respective ends of the sleeve, one of which bearing-faces is adjustable, and rows of balls between said bearing-faces, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a cyclometer, with the divided collar and divided sleeve or housing, of circumferential bearing-faces at the respective ends of the divided sleeve, and a circumferential bearing-face at one end of the divided collar and external threads at the other end, a divided ring internally threaded toscrew onto the collar and having a circumferential bearing; face, means for holding' said ring in place, and bal-ls in rows between the bearing-faces, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 13th day of February, 1391.

E. R. DE VOLFE.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. M or'r. 

